Textile printing apparatus



Sept. 12, 1944.

S.. B. STAFFORD ETAL TEXTILE PRINTING APPARATUS,

Filed March 3, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet l .EN mw o m 2 w hm m. w. NN- ON O 0 r6 da NN so n. n! u. o o m o Q f :u Nw D@ .www )1 ON- 2 I, o o S om 2 S "Q N oN T Q o S .ha w n@ o om 3 w i vm O O Aw om OH Ww ON .VW

Snventors SEP/few 5mi-men 6WD Bg 5mm/v SW7/f Gftorneg Sept. l2, 1944. s. B. STAFFORD Erm. 2,358,114

TEXTILE PRINTING APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Smacntors STEM/EN B. Smffof'o BB FIND HER/vw l?. SMm/ @MUM Q/Wwmw Sept 12, 1944. s. B. STAFFORD Erm. 2,358,114

TEXTILE PRINTING APPARATUS Filed March 3, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Snventors STEPHEN BA 5mi-FORD Sept. 12, 1944. 5 B, STAFFORD ETAL 2,358,114

TEXTILE PRINTING APPARATUS o4 105l 109 u o? I l C los d l Smoentors TEPf-/N B. STHFFQRD HND Patented Sept. 12, 1944 2.35am g 'rax'rnh PRINTING APPARATUS Stephen B. Stafford,

Oxford, and Herman A.

Smith, Holden, Mass., assigner-s to Rice Barton Corporation, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 3,

6 Claims.

'I'his invention relates to textile printing apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus arranged for feeding a fabric, and a back gray cloth if desired, to a printing machine under controlled conditions.

The standard machine for printing one or a plurality of colors Imay comprise a set of printing rolls arranged around the periphery of a backing cylinder. A back gray cloth may be led with the fabric to the printing zone, and both the fabric and the cloth may be passed to drying apparatus, winding rolls and other mechanisms. Also, it is now proposed to employ various motor driven pieces of apparatus for supplying and working on the goods prior to the printing operation. Unless the fabric and the back gray cloth are fed to and from the printing zone under controlled speed conditions the accuracy of the printing operation may be seriously affected and a material wastage of fabric be involved. This wastage is due in part to the stoppage of the printing operation for the purpose of replenishing the supply of fabric or back gray cloth. It is, therefore, desirable to supply the fabric and back gray cloth continuously during an entire printing run. 'Ihe use of a scray for holding a supply of fabric during the time interval required for placing a new roll of fabric in the machine has presented various problems owing to the fact that the fabric is in a loose and non-tensioned condition while held in the scray and various devices are required for feeding the fabric to and from the scray and for maintaining the proper longitudinal and lateral tensions in the fabric.

In accordance with the present invention, it is proposed to place the entire run of fabric to be printed on a single spool, within the capacity of the machine and which may be as much as v 15,000 yards, and to provide a similar supply of back gray cloth if used, and then feed these through the printing zone under controlled conditions which avoid stopping the machine during the entire run. The enormous fabric ang cloth mus involvedare..Aseparatelymdrivenbummer mecriism and ,americas Powewlrirss ,af the mgghinearengaiailllyyltlonizedmn'd coordinated so as to maintain both the fabric and cloth in proper condition for the printing operation. A problem in this synchronization is presented by the fact that the fabric is fed to the printing zone by the printing roll itself and this speed is necessarily decreased when the printing roll has its engraved surface ground away and a new engraving applied thereto which thereby decreases the diameter of the roll and its periph- 1941, Serial No. 381,536

eral speed when driven by a constant speed motor. Owing to the long run of the fabric through the back rigging and the inertia of the heavy moving parts and the frictional forces involved,

it is not possible for the printing machine to draw the fabric from the supply roll without distorting it seriously. Hence, separate motors are utilized to drive various parts of the coordinated apparatus. A primary feature of this invention, therefore, involves synchronizing these various motors and insuring that the fabric is not subjected to undue strain or tension which would affect its alignment or tracking with the engraved surface of the printing roll.

The primary objects of this invention are to satisfy the above requirements and to provide a printing apparatus which will print cloth substantially continuously and at a high degree of emicency.

A further object of the invention is to provide coordinated driving mechanisms whereby fabric may be led directly from a positively driven supply roll to the printer and maintained under suitable conditions for the printing operation.

A further object is to provide coordinated driving mechanisms for a printing machine and a supply roll for the back gray cloth which insures that the back gray cloth will be properly presented with the fabric to the printer and not mislead the fabric through the printing zone.

A further object of this invention is to provide a suitable winding mechanism for either the fabric or the back graylcloth or both which is power driven in coordination with the printing machine so as not to interfere with the printing operation. Further objects will be apparent in the following disclosure.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiments of this invention:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the apparatus required for feeding fabric and a back gray cloth to a printing machine and for receiving and winding the same after the printing operation;

Fig. 2 is a simplified wiring diagram for the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, of a power driven device arranged for unwinding a. roll of fabric or back gray cloth:

Figs. 4 to 8 inclusive are diagrammatic sketches showng the operation of the construction of Fig.

Fig. 9 is an end elevation of a different form of unwinding apparatus Fig. 10 is a sectional detail, partly in plan view.

of a differential unit and associated rheostat mechanism for controlling a motor speed; and

Fig. ll'is a modification of a different type of differential unit.

In an apparatus embodying this invention, as shown in Fig. 1, the fabric I is led directly from a supply roll yII to the printingmachine I2. Similarly, a supply of .back gray cloth I4, if used, is led directly from a supply roll I5 to the printer in proper association with the fabric. An endless rubber blanket I6 may also,be led. through the printing zone with the other two pieces in accordance with standard practice.

The printing machine may be made of any suitable construction. In the form illustrated, it comprises a set of printing rolls I8 removably carried on mandrels which are suitably mounted on the framework of the press. 'Ihe rolls are held under pressure against the backing cylinder I9 by means of screw pressure mechanisms 20. The cylinder I9, which may be covered with fabric or rubber, is mounted for free rotation, and it is driven only by the frictional pressure imparted by the power driven printing rolls. 'I'he rolls are driven in synchronism by means of the bull gear 22 which meshes with gears 23 secured to the rotatable mandrels carrying the printing rolls. One of the printing rolls is driven by a controllable but constant speed electric motorA 24 connected thereto by pulleys and a belt 25. These various parts may be made and assembled in accordance with standard practice.

The roll of fabric II, which may be of any desired size, is rotated at a required peripheral speed by a power driven mechanism comprising the regulatable constant speed direct current electric motor 30. The power drive, illustrated in Fig. 3, comprises a pair of rolls 32 suitably mounted for rotation in bearings on a base 33. The arbor of one of these rolls is connected by a belt 34 with the pulley on the shaft of the motor 30. 'I'he rolls 32 are preferably of the same diameter and mounted with their axes in parallel and in the same horizontal plane. The fabric roll II is peripherally mounted on these two rolls and arranged to be driven solely thereby, so that irrespective of the diameter of the roll the fabric will be unwound therefrom at a uniform peripheral rate.

This invention contemplates utilizing a huge roll containing as much as 15,000 yards of fabric, which might be 6 feet in diameter. In order to handle this enormous roll and assemble it properly on the rolls 32, a truck 38 is provided. This truck may comprise wheels 31 running on suitable tracks on the floor of the mill. The roll is held on the platform 38 of the truck by means of a longitudinal upstanding rib 33 and a removable rib 40 arranged to support the periphery of the roll while it lies in rolling contact with the top surface of the platform 38. A platform 4I on the base 33 forms a continuation of the car platform, and the parts are so arranged that when the slidably mounted support 40 has been drawn endwise out of position the fabric roll II may be rolled across the two platforms onto the driving rolls 32. The platform 38 may project over and intert with a slide surface of the platform 33 to prevent the car1 from tipping over. Other suitable constructional details may be employed as desired.

It is preferred that the fabric roll be steadied by means of an axle while it is being unwound. To this end, a pair of spaced standards 44 project upwardly from the base 33, and each carries 8,

vertically movable slide 45 suitably interitting with a slideway 48 on the standard. Each of these slides has a laterally projecting portion providing a half bearing 41, and a bearing cap 48 may be suitably secured in position to support one end of the mandrel 50 of the spool on which the fabric is wound. Each slide 45 may be properly positioned for receiving the mandrel by means of the flexible cable or chain 52 which is connected at its ends to the top and bottom of the slide 45. Each cable passes over a pulley 53 suitably mounted in bearings on the top of the standard and another pulley 54 suitably mounted in bearings near the bottom of the standard. A hand wheel 55 connected to the lower pulley serves for the purpose of raising or lowering the slide. The slideways are so positioned that the center of the mandrel 50 is in a vertical line located halfway between the axes of the two supporting rolls 32, so that the mandrel will ride vertically as the roll decreases in size.

During a normal run, the fabric will remain under tension from the fabric roll to the printing press, but if it is desired to run a plurality of rolls of fabric continuously without stopping the printing press, a separate driving system may be employed to feed the fabric forward during the short period of time in which it is not being driven at the required rate by the driving rolls 32. To this end, a pair of power driven rolls and 6I are rotatably mounted on bearings assembled on the tops of two arms 62 projecting laterally from the standards 44. The shaft of the roll 60 may be mounted in fixed bearings while the ends of the shaft of the roll 6I may be mounted on two parallel slides 63 having slide parts intertting with slideways on the arms 62. A compression spring 64 may be employed for the purpose of holding each of the slides 63 forward so as to pinch the fabric I0 between the two rolls. These rolls may be held apart and out of driving engagement with the fabric, if and when desired, such as while the fabric rolls II are being normally rotated by the power driven rolls 32. The roll 60 may be driven by means of a pulley 65 and a belt 66 passing over a further pulley 61 on the arbor 68 of that roll 32 which is driven directly by the belt 34 from the motor 30. The sizes of the pulleys are such that the rolls 60 and 6I vfeed the fabric forward at the same rate as it is being unwound from the fabric roll I I.

A roll of back gray cloth I5 may be similarly mounted on two power driven rolls 10, as shown in Fig. 1, and one of these may be driven by a belt 1I connecting with a pulley on the motor 30 so that the fabric roll II and the back gray roll I5 may be driven at the same peripheral speed. Also, a pair of feed rolls 12 and 13 driven by a belt 14 connected with one of the rolls 10 may be used to supplement the action of the rolls 10. The mechanism for supporting and rotating the back gray cloth may be the same as that illustrated in Fig. 3 for the fabric and need not be specifically described.

The fabric, and the back gray cloth if desired,

may be fed through a tensioning device such as that described and claimed in the patent of Stafford No. 2,281,211 of April 28, 1942, and other details of construction shown in that application may be incorporated with the present apparatus. The tensioning device shown in Fig. 1 comprises a pair of rolls 15 and 16 connected together by gears 11 fixed to their arbors and the IVII fabric is led around these rolls in such a manner that the rolls are obliged to take the speed of the fabric. These rolls are driven by a tension motor TM suitably mounted on the framework. This motor is a constant speed direct current motor connected by a chain or belt to one of the rolls 15, and the characteristics of the motor are such that the pair of rolls will be driven at a speed less than the normal rate of movement of the fabric, such as '15% of that normal rate. The tension motor will thus aid in starting the fabric movement through the machine until the speed of the machine has attained this '15% speed. Thereafter, as the fabric speed increases, the motor will be driven by the rolls and will serve as a generator and send electrical energy `back into the line. The speed of the motor may be controlled so as to give any desired effect, and this action is such that the motor will impart a braking or tensioning action on the fabric going to the printer, so that the fabric will be held under tension between these rolls and the printing machine and will thus be fed forward under proper printing conditions.

If desired, a pair of guiders 80 of the standard type described in the patent to Durrant No. 1,569,077 or other guiders may be employed for the purpose of guiding the fabric into the printing zone. The fabric is preferably tentered or stretched prior to its being wound into the roll so that the guiders serve merely to move the fabric laterally and cause it to align or track with the engraved portion of the printing roll. Also, a pair of helically threaded spreader rolls B2 may be suitably mounted on the framework of the machine and further aid in spreading and holding the cloth smooth as it goes into the printing zone. These may be constructed as described in the patent to Smith, No. 2,281,627, dated May 5, 1942.

The fabric may pass around a set of drying drums 84 illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 and which may -be of suitable or standard construction. The back gray cloth may be likewise passed over drying drums, if desired, on its way to the wind up roll. Or the back gray cloth may be passed through washing and drying apparatus and then ultimately returned to the printing zone either after being wound in a roll or as an endless piece of cloth. After the fabric has been passed into contact with the drying drums on both of its sides, it may be then folded by suitable apparatus or it may be led to a winding apparatus where it is wound into a final roll.

The preferred winding apparatus comprises a pair ofllersfsuitably mguntedonabase and arranged the sameasfth rollers 32 shown in Fig. 3 or otherwise as desired to support the roll 81 of fabric. One of these rollers is driven by a belt 81 connected with a constant speed D. C. motor 88 so that the fabric is wound up as fast as it is received from the printing zone. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the back gray cloth may also be wound in a roll@ by\means of driven rollers 92 which are also power driven by the same motor 88. The parts are so connected to the single motor that the fabric and the back gray cloth will be driven at the same peripheral speed.

In order that the fabric or the back gray cloth may be fed continuously to the printing zone without stopping the machine when the end of the fabric or back gray cloth roll has been reached the method illustrated in Figs. 3 to 8 may be employed. As the fabric roll in Fig. 4 decreases in size, while being driven by the power lxammer `rolls 32, another roll is brought up on the truck 3l and held in readiness. When the right hand roll has attained a small size, as indicated in Fig. 5, the mandrel 50 is lifted from the driving rolls 32 and placed in the open topped spaced bearing supports 95 on the base 33 of the machine. Then the operator pulls the cloth from the spool while supported on the bearings 95 and allows it to rest on the floor, as shown in Fig. 6. In the meantime, the power driven rolls 60 and 6| are feeding the fabric forward at the required rate. 'Ihen the ends 06 and 91 of the two pieces of fabric (Fig. '1) are sewed together either before or after the rib 40 is removed and the roll is rolled onto the driving rolls 32 (Fig. 8). If desired, a power control mechanism may be utilized to regulate the speed of the rolls 32 temporarily in order to insure that the fabric will be again drawn into a proper tight condition.

Numerous other types of power driving units may be employed 1fonwinding or unwinding the fabric or the back gay"clotlr.""'0ne simplified form of mechanism is shown in Fig. 9. This comprises a power driven roll |00 having a fricf' tion drive surface adapted to peripherally engagerv the fabric roll I and rotate the same. The drum |00 is driven by a belt |0| connected with the motor 30 or the motor 88 as above described, depending upon whether the fabric or the cloth is being unwound or rolled up. The mandrel 50 of the spool of the fabric roll or the mandrel of the spool for the back gray cloth I5, is suitably supported in a pair of open bearings |04 on the spaced arms |05 pivoted at |06 on a base |01. Each arm has fixed thereto a. rack gear |08 which meshes with a small gear |09 fixed on a cross shaft carrying keyed thereto the large gear ||2. Each large gear ||0 meshes with a gear on the cross shaft ||2 to one end of which is aflixed the hand wheel H4. Suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism may be provided to hold the arms in a desired position. Hence, by means of this hand wheel mechanism one may move the arms |05 toward and from the driving roll |00 and position a new supply roll in contact with the driving roll.v A set of driven rolls IB may alscLbe emi'illoyel similar to rolls 60 and 6| in constructionand arrang'mentfor' the purpose of feeding the fabric forward during the time agnew supply belgg'piitoplace. These rolls rifbiy driven by a ben; ||1 commen-with the shaft of the rou loo and the parts are so proportioned and arranged that the fabric will be fed at the same speed by both the driving drum |00 and these rolls H6. A duplicate mechanism is mounted at the right hand side of the driving drum |00 which need not be specifically described. It will, therefore, be appreciated that When the end of the fabric on the roll at the left hand side of the driving drum |00 has been about reached, the mandrel 50 may be swung away, and the fabric may be unwound and its free end sewed to the end of the fabric on the other supply roll Then the new supply roll is moved down into contact with the driving drum and the process continued as before. Various other types of power driven reeling and unwinding mechanisms may be employed in this apparatus for the purpose of feeding the fabric to and taking it from the printing zone.

An important feature of this invention involves the coordination or synchronization of the speeds of the different driving units, so that the fabric or the back gray cloth may be fed to and from the printing machine at the proper rate and prevent any undue tension or looseness in either of these pieces of cloth. To this end, a speed coordinating mechanism may be employed, such as that described in the patent application of Herman A. Smith, Serial No. 365,121 led N- vember 9, 1940. It is preferred to coordinate the power units with a speed reference unit which travels at exactly the speed of the fabric at some point in its travel, such as in the printing zone. Any suitable part of the apparatus may serve as the reference unit, such as one of the rolls for either winding or unwinding the fabric to be printed or the back gray cloth. It is preferred to utilize a drag roll which engages the fabric as it enters the 'printing zone and acquires the same speed. The roll 20 (Figs. 1 and 2) is suitably supported on two swinging arms |2| suitably supported on a standard |22 so that the weight of the roll and the arms insures that the periphery of the roll travels at exactly the speed of the fabric. The speed of the roll is therefore uniform during a printing run; hence this roll may provide a reference speed for the other power units and the speeds of the latter may be varied in conformity therewith.

The preferred speed control apparatus comprises an automatic diierential speed control unit arranged to control the shunt fields of the motors to be synchronized. The printer motor 24, designated also as PM, is a constant speed direct current motor arranged to have its speed suitably regulated to give the desired uniform rate of fabric movement through the printing zone. This normally gives a. uniform speed to the reference roll 20. The winding and unwinding motors and 88 are preferably controllable constant speed direct current motors having both series and shunt field windings, and the control mechanism is such that if one of the motors 3|) or 88 that winds or unwinds the fabric or the back gray cloth should lag or run too fast, the difference between the speeds of that motor and the reference speed unit |20 will cause the shunt field of the motor to be varied to bring its speed back to normal.

The differential unit may be of the general construction illustrated in Fig. 10. This comprises a shaft |22 driven at a constant speed by a belt connection through the pulley |23 with the reference roll |20. Similarly, the other shaft |24 is driven by a pulley keyed thereto through a belt connecting with the pulley on the reference motor RM (Fig. 2) or preferably one of the rolls 32 (Fig. 1) which supports and rotates the roll of fabric I at a speed that is proportional to that of the motor unit RM. These shafts |22 and |24 are suitably mounted in bearings in the framework |26 (Fig. l0). A gear |28 connected to the shaft |22 meshes with the gear |29 which is rotatable relative to a central supporting shaft |30. Similarly, the shaft |24 carries a gear |32 secured thereto and meshing with the gear |33 rotatable relative to the shaft |30. The gears |29 and |33 are keyed to two separate sleeves or hubs |34 and |35 which are rotatably mounted on the shaft |30 and are integral with or keyed to the beveled gears |36 and |31 respectively. These two beveled gears in turn mesh with two further beveled gears |38 and |39 freely rotatable on two pins |40 and |4| projecting diametrically from a central sleeve which is pinned to the shaft 30. This arrangement is such that when the pulleys |23 and |25 are rotating at the same speed, the central shaft |30 will be stationary, but if the pulley |25 travels at a different speed from that of the other pulley |23,

then the central shaft |30 will be rotated in one direction or the other by the revolution of the small gears |38 and |39 around the gears with 5 which they mesh.

Various types of speed changing mechanism may be operated by this differential shaft |30, which will serve to control the speed of the driving rolls 32; but in the present embodiment this control is effected by varying the shunt eld of the motor. To this end, the shaft |30 is connected through a belt |43 with a pulley I 4| on a shaft |42. 'I'his shaft |42 is suitably supported in bearings and carries at its opposite end a friction clutch plate |44 adapted to engage another friction clutch plate |45 mounted on a shaft |45 aligned with the shaft |42. The shaft |45 carries at its outer end the rheostat arm |48 which sweeps over the rheostat contacts |49 of a suitably constructed rheostat box. These contacts are connected, as will be understood by one skilled in the art, with the shunt field of the motor RM (Fig. 2) and preferably through a manually controlled rheostat Rz so that the speed of the motor RM may be controlled as desired. A spring |41 may be employed to hold the friction plates |44 and |45 in driving engagement, and to provide only a light pressure sufficient to move the rheostat arm but prevent damage in case of an excessive temporary difference in speed. Manual control of the clutch may be effected by the yoke |50 suitably pivoted on the casing which is operated by the hand lever |52 and held in position by a suitable pawl and ratchet |53.

A modified form of differential unit is shown in Fig. 11. In this construction, the reference roll |20 is connected by a belt |56 with a pulley |51 xed on the end of a shaft |58 which is suitably 40 mounted for rotation on a pair of bearings |59 and |60. The shaft |58 is threaded between the two bearings and carries thereon a pulley |60 whose hub |6| is threaded for longitudinal movement along the shaft |58. This hub |6| is 45 provided with a groove |62 Within which lies a roller on the arm |63 of a yoke forming one end of a lever pivoted at |64 and carrying as an extension thereof the rheostat arm |65 which sweeps over the rheostat contacts |49. The pulley |60 has a belt |66 driven by the motor RM or a pulley on one of the driving rolls 32, as above described with reference to Fig. 10. The sizes and the ratios of diameters of these various parts are such that when the surface speeds of the reference roll |20 and the driving rolls 32 are the same, then the pulley will rotate with the shaft |58 and not travel longitudinally thereof.

But if the motor driving the roll 32 should lag or run too fast, then the pulley |60 will be ro- 60 tated at a different rate from that of the shaft and so will thread its way along the shaft. This causes the rheostat arm to swing over the rheostat contacts |49 and thus vary the current ow to the shunt field of the motor 30.

A simplified form of wiring diagram for these various parts is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, but it will be understood that one skilled in the electrical art may suitably modify these arrangements to employ any desired constructional features for accomplishing these ends. The motors PM and RM are in parallel on the main line, and a suitable starting and control mechanism may be employed for the purpose of insuring that these two motors start together and maintain substantially the same speeds. The motor PM has the series eld S and shunt eld SF and the motor RM has the series field S' and shunt ileld SF. The rheostat contacts |49 and the contact arm |48 are respectively connected into the line of the shunt field S'F and preferably through a secondary manually controlled resistance R2. The parts are preferably so arranged and operated that the arm |48 will stayin a central position while the motors are running at the required uniform speed, but part of the resistance will be automatically cut and thereby lncrease the shunt field when the motor RM is to be slowed down, or more resistance will be inserted to speed up the motor.

The same general arrangement of differential speed unit control for the other motor 88 may be employed and need not be specifically described. This comprises a duplicate differential mechanism |10 (Fig. 1) having one of its pulleys connected to the speed reference roll |20 and the other connected to the driving roll 92 of the back gray cloth or this may be connected to the driving roll 86 of the fabric winding apparatus or to any other unit which is driven at the speed of the fabric or cloth. The other pulley of the differential may be indirectly driven from the roll |20 through a belt connection with the pulley |23.

'I'he tension motor mechanism may be arranged as set forth in said Stafford patent. A simplified wiring diagram is shown at the left side of Fig. 2, in which the direct current motor PM and the tension motor TM which provides the proper tension on the cloth are in parallel across the main line. A rheostat Ra is placed in the shunt eld circuit of the motor PM and another rheostat R4 is in the shunt field of the motor TM. These two rheostats are mechanically connected, such as by a belt |12, which insures that any adjustment of either rheostat will automatically affect the other. A constant current regulating device of standard construction well known in the industry is connected into the series and shunt elds of the tension motor TM and so arranged as to maintain a constant current in the tension motor shunt field. This holds the tension motor at a uniform speed during a normal run and thus provides a uniform tension on the fabric to be printed as it goes forward to the printer. That is, if the speed of the printer is uniform then the uniform current in the tension motor field insures that the tension remains uniform. Suitable control mechanism may be employed to start and stop the tension motor in its association with the printer motor for starting the movement of the fabric through the printing zone. A separate manually controlled rheostat may also be provided in the ten` sion motor shunt eld circuit so as to vary the tension on the cloth. The back gray cloth may also be led through a similar tensioning device.

The tensioning rolls 15 and 1.6 may be omitted, if desired, but the fabric I will be held under tension as it passes from the supply roll to the printing machine because of the coordination of speeds of the supply roll and the printer. That is, the fabric is fed into the printing zone at a uniform rate, and the rate of unwinding it from the supply roll may be held at a controlled uniform rate. By driving the roll and the printing roll I8 at the same peripheral rates, the fabric may be started taut and held under tension during its entire run from source to the printer, By suitable manual control of the speed of the roll driving motor, the latter may be caused to lag momentarily when starting the ap- [1X3 mlm?? paratus so as to provide enough tension. Thereafter, the synchronizing mechanism is permitted to run the motors at the required uniform rates. In each of these constructions, the fabric and/or the back gray cloth is lead in a direct run to the printer by suitable rolls and shafting, as will be understood, and the various parts are arranged to carry the fabric and cloth forward in a smooth condition. But, various types of apparatus may also be employed to spread or smooth the fabric or cloth and otherwise prepare it for the printing step. i

The separate driving rolls 60 and 6| may be omitted where the printing press driving mechanism may be used, without seriously distorting the fabric, to draw the last portion of the fabric forward, and particularly after the rst supply roll has been moved to the position of Fig. 6. The driving rolls 32, or the drum |00, are intended to feed the fabric forward from a massive supply roll which is too heavy to be rotated by the pull of the fabric alone, but the printing press can pull the fabric readily from the comparatively light weight spool when the supply has become nearly exhausted. During a normal run, the printing press and the unwinding rolls are intended to maintain the fabric and the back gray cloth under a moderate tension which insures that each is held in shape and in its normal width and length. The electrical brake or tensioning serves primarily to increase that tension and hold it uniform irrespective of variations in the texture of the fabric or cloth or the operation of the unwinding mechanisms.

The winding and unwinding mechanisms for the fabric and the back gray cloth may each be driven by a separate motor, and each motor may be synchronized with the printing machine reference roll |20 as above described. Also, separate motors may be provided for driving the drying drums for the fabric and the back gray cloth, all of which may be likewise synchronized with the printing motor. Any of the various structures and arrangements set forth in said prior applications may be employed with or substituted for the appropriate structure above described. Hence, the above description is to be interpreted as illustrating the general principles of this invention and the preferred embodiments thereof without limiting the scope of the claims appended hereto.

We claim:

1. A printing apparatus comprising a printing machine having a printing rol1 and driving mechanism including an electric motor for moving a strip of fabric through the printing zone at a desired uniform rate, independent mechanism including an electric motor for rotating a supply rol1 of fabric at a substantially uniform peripheral rate, further independent mechanism including an electric motor for winding the printed cloth in a roll and means for coordinating the speeds of said motors to insure that the fabric feeds forward at a uniform rate from the supply roll to the printing zone and to the wind up roll while held under tension.

2. A textile printing apparatus comprising a printing machine having a driving roll of indeterminate size, associated power mechanism, including a motor, for rotating said rol1 and causing it to move cloth through the printing zone at a substantially uniform rate determined by the roll size, a. rotatable support for a supply roll of cloth to be printed, means including a governed motor connected to rotate said support and unwind the cloth from the supply roll at a substantially uniform peripheral rate and without materially varying the tension of the cloth as it passes from the supply roll, and mechanism which automatically regulates the speed of the governed motor and causes it to move the cloth at substantially the same rate as that at which it is moved through the printing zone and thereby holding the cloth under a controlled tension.

3. A textile printing apparatus comprising a printing machine having a driving roll of indeterminate size, an associated mechanism including a motor for rotating the roll and causing it to move a strip of cloth through the printing zone at a rate determined by the roll size, a rotatable support for a supply roll of cloth, means including an independent motor connected to said support to rotate it and unwind the cloth at a substantially uniform peripheral rate, a speed reference unit which moves in an invariable speed ratio relative to the cloth movement in the printing zone, and mechanism automatically controlled by said unit which causes said independent motor to unwind the cloth at substantially the same rate as it is moved through the printing zone so that the cloth is held under a substantially uniform tension as it is unwound from the supply roll.

4. A textile printing apparatus comprising a printing machine having a driving roll of indeterminate size, means including a motor for rotating the roll and moving two strips of cloth together through the printing zone at a uniform rate determined by the roll size, rotatable supports for two supply rolls of cloth, mechanism independent of said motor which is connected to said supports to rotate the rolls and unwind cloth from each roll at a, substantially uniform rate, and means which automatically regulates the speed of said mechanism and causes the cloth of each roll to be unwound at the rate at which it passes through the printing zone so that each strip of cloth is held under a substantially uniform tension as it unwinds.

5. A printing apparatus comprising a printing roll, power mechanism for rotating the roll and causing it to move a strip of cloth through the printing zone at a substantially uniform rate, a rotatable support for a supply roll of cloth, independent mechanism coordinated with said power mechanism for rotating the support and unwinding the cloth at substantially said uniform rate, and a secondary mechanism including a driving roll arranged to move the supply of cloth forward towards the printing zone at said rate.

6. A textile printing apparatus comprising a printing machine having a printing roll and associated driving mechanism for rotating the roll and causing it to move a strip of fabric through the printing zone at a substantially uniform rate, a rotatable support for a first supply roll of cloth, independent driving mechanism connected to said support to rotate it and unwind the cloth at said rate, means for supporting a second supply roll near the first so that the ends of the cloth on the two rolls may be connected and driv-v ing means independent of said rotatable support for feeding the cloth of the first roll forward at said rate during the period of connecting the cloth ends.

STEPHEN B. STAFFORD. HERMAN A. SMITH. 

